The Path to Absolution
by Namazukage
Summary: The Doctor responds to a request for technical assistance on a human colony he previously visited.
1. Return to Aspen

**The Path to Absolution**

I started working on this story months ago; it's been long enough that I can't recall when I began it. Time constraints and writer's block made this a very long process. I finally found time and motivation during George Washington's birthday, so I just started typing. Given that, this story probably doesn't compare well to my other efforts, but I wanted it finished, so here it is.

I like placing my stories in continuity even if the show has no bearing on it, so the flashbacks take place between Boom Town and Bad Wolf. The present story takes place between Blink and Utopia.

The flashbacks are told in reverse chronological order simply because they are more informative that way. Only the first chapter has flashbacks. I debated a lot about whether the second chapter should have flashbacks or if things are explained enough that the flashbacks would be redundant. If you read this and have an opinion about that (or anything else related to this story, feel free to share). Thanks for getting this far.

Chapter 1: Return to Aspen

* * *

><p><em>-FLASHBACK-<em>

"They told me that Zoby Leard will recover," the Doctor said.

"I know what you must think of us, Doctor. We dumb apes are so irresponsible," a woman told the Doctor.

"No, just some of you," the Doctor replied.

"Well, I'm thankful for you helping us contain the situation."

"If you ever need further help, contact me."

"I will, Doctor."

"This can't ever happen again. I want to help make sure it doesn't."

"Certainly."

"Take care, then, Director."

"You, too. Rose, nice to meet you. Elden, good to see you again."

"Likewise," Jack replied.

The Doctor, Rose, and Jack headed back to the TARDIS.

"So, are you going to explain this name of yours?" Rose asked.

"It's a long story," Jack replied.

"We probably have a long trip ahead of us."

_-FLASHBACK-_

* * *

><p>"Oh!" the Doctor exclaimed in the TARDIS. He pulled out his psychic paper.<p>

"What is it?" Martha asked.

"I got a message!"

"People can communicate with you with that?"

"Sure!" the Doctor replied as he set the TARDIS controls to the next destination.

The TARDIS landed with its typical noises.

"Where are we?" Martha asked. "And when?" She stepped out into a hallway and followed the Doctor into a room with monitors.

"This is a human colony, year 4,533. The planet is called Aspen. It has trees that look like aspens."

Nearly a dozen people suddenly burst in wearing uniforms and pointing guns at the Doctor and Martha.

Startled, Martha threw her hands up, as did the Doctor.

"Explain yourselves," a woman said. "Who are you and how did you get access here?"

"It's me, Director Raig. I'm the Doctor." He pointed to the TARDIS. "This is Martha Jones. Martha, this is Caffi Raig, the head of security here."

"You aren't the Doctor."

The Doctor held up his psychic paper. "I got your message. When we found out about the teleportation technology, you said that the story called 'Derby's Labyrinth' dissuaded you from ever wanting to try it."

"I only told one person that."

"You also told me that your daughter wanted to write a story one day about someone who would give up a life of crime for family."

"Doctor, it's you! But –"

"Yeah, don't worry about that," the Doctor replied. "Anyway, I got your message. You have a lead?"

"Yes, but that was almost three months ago."

"Oh! Sorry, complications with time travel."

"It's all right. During those three months, we were able to retrieve the teleportation technology," Caffi explained. "It's dismantled completely."

"Oh, good. Good. What about the fugitive?"

"We have not apprehended him yet," Caffi answered.

"Well, if there's nothing for me to do, I'll be off with Martha. We'll stick around and see the rest of the planet. If I happen to come across Ward, I'll be sure to alert you," the Doctor said, trying to make up for his tardiness.

"Whatever you wish, Doctor."

Later on another continent, the Doctor and Martha were walking through a dense forest of trees with white bark and light green leaves.

"What happened the last time you were here, Doctor?" Martha asked.

"Someone tried to experiment with teleportation. It ended badly."

The Doctor and Martha came across a lot that held several small flying vehicles.

"Hello, sir, ma'am," a man called to them. "I'm Mol Planubenes. Are you interested in a tour? You are completely unsupervised! Just take a levcraft and go!"

"No thanks," Martha answered. "We're just going for a walk."

"Ah, not from this area, are you? A visitor can't just walk through these woods, you must see them from above!"

Martha laughed at Mol's salesmanship. "I think we'll pass on that, thank you."

Mol approached the Doctor and Martha. "All right, I can fake the digital payments and I can fake the dry cell charge records, but I can't fake others seeing the levcrafts in action. You two can take a two-seat levcraft and fly around for free, all right? I'm close to a promotion but the branch director needs to see me put more people up."

"Well, how can you refuse that?" the Doctor said.

The Doctor and Martha flew just above the trees and saw bird-like animals nesting on the treetops.

"I'll admit," Martha said. "This would have been worth some money."

The Doctor felt his psychic paper activate again.

"It's Director Raig," the Doctor indicated.

The TARDIS reappeared near Caffi's office after the Doctor's and Martha's sightseeing trip.

"On time," the Doctor remarked to Caffi.

"Yes," she replied. "Doctor, our sensors indicated an energy discharge in Ywoklize. It was associated with the disappearance of a noticeable amount of mass."

"Teleportation," the Doctor concluded.

"Perhaps the technology has been duplicated," Caffi remarked. "Alternatively, someone else has devised a method. I think it's the former. Unfortunately, the sensors could not be more specific."

"I'll have a look."

"Please take two of my managers with you," Caffi said as she signaled two colleagues. "Rown Tu and Ash Renner."

"Certainly," the Doctor responded. "I remember Rown well from my last visit here."

"We'll maintain regular contact," Caffi added before the Doctor set off.

Soon, the TARDIS appeared in the country Ywoklize. Using the TARDIS' systems, the Doctor located the specific location of the energy signature and at Rown's request, parked near it.

"It would just be a short walk," the Doctor informed as he emerged from the TARDIS with Martha, Rown, and Ash.

"Good," Rown remarked.

The group soon came across two large machines being worked on by several people.

"This quarry was originally used to mine phalter rocks," Ash informed the Doctor and Martha.

"That machine on the right," the Doctor began. "That's for teleportation."

"What about the left? Are they both for the same purpose?" Martha asked.

"I don't know. I have a portable scanner in the TARDIS that can measure energy outputs."

"Take this," Rown instructed the Doctor, giving him a communication device. "Setting 3BA. Open communication."

Later, the Doctor was searching through the TARDIS when he heard commotion from the communication device.

"Who are you?" an unfamiliar voice asked.

"We're just travelers," Martha tried to explain. "Our levcraft had some trouble and we had to land."

"I know you," the voice said. "I've seen your picture before. You're a part of the Ekinnes security force."

"You're mistaken," Ash said.

"Don't lie. Shum, take them to see Zoby."

"Yes, Dave," the Doctor heard.

"Look," Martha began.

"Be quiet, or I'll kill you now."

"Doctor Jones," Ash said. "I knew you should have waited with the ship."

The Doctor realized that Ash was sending a message to him, and the Doctor prepared to call Caffi until he heard a shot.

"You killed him!" Martha cried.

"And you're next if you aren't quiet. I gave warning."

Panicked, the Doctor grabbed a monocular and ran back to the quarry. Along the way, he continued to hear what was happening through his communication device. It seemed that Martha and Rown had met Zoby.

"What are your names?" Zoby asked.

The Doctor could sense the silent tension from his distance.

"I know you are security officers from Ekinnes. There's no point in hiding your identities."

"I'm Rown Tu."

"I'm Martha Jones."

"I didn't realize people still named their children Martha," Zoby replied. "What are you doing here?"

"We're trying to isolate a pattern of energy fluctuations that could be dangerous."

"You're in the wrong place," Zoby said.

"So we'll just be on our way, then?" Rown asked sarcastically.

"Not after what we witnessed," Martha commented quietly.

"We're just building large-scale energy plaques," Zoby said. "It's experimental and proprietary, hence the security. We need confidentiality; otherwise, there's nothing to witness."

A few guards nearby shifted uncomfortably.

"Yeah, let's all forget about the murder, then," Rown replied.

Martha glanced at Dave.

"What?" Zoby asked. He noticed Martha's look and addressed Dave. "Did you kill someone?"

"Another Ekinnean security officer. He was uncooperative," Dave answered.

"What's wrong with you? "

"Pyver's orders were to keep the area secure. I have my orders, just as you do."

"Pyver . . ." Rown remarked quietly.

Zoby sighed. "Confine them somewhere."

"Where?" Dave asked.

"Storage room for the space point casings."

The Doctor heard Martha and Rown being locked in a room and the communication was cut.

"Shielding," the Doctor commented. He had arrived in the quarry undetected and investigated the general area. Watching the activities going on, his eyes widened as he noticed Ward Mazarin, the fugitive that Caffi was trying to find.

The Doctor finally approached a group of guards and as expected, was met with guns.

"Who are you?" a guard asked.

The Doctor held out his psychic paper. "John Smith. I'm one of Director Pyver's assistants at MicaRepublic."

The guards lowered their guns.

"I need to see Zoby Leard."

"Mr. Smith," Zoby welcomed the Doctor. "I'm Zoby Leard."

"I'm here about your prisoners."

The Doctor's statement shocked Zoby. "I don't understand."

"The winds sing to Mr. Pyver. I was in the area and he asked me to determine your prisoners' intentions."

"I fear it's about Ward."

"You're working with Ward after what he took from you. Mr. Pyver told me much, but not about that."

"He is my best friend. I am willing to do and forgive much for him, and I think he is willing to do the same."

The Doctor took a closer look at Zoby's neck. "Your scars are barely noticeable."

"Director Pyver hired the planet's best doctors to guide my healing."

Zoby and the Doctor arrived in the storage unit that held Martha and Rown. Martha knew not to speak to avoid exposing whatever plan the Doctor had and Rown followed suit.

"A moment alone, please," the Doctor requested.

Zoby left and the Doctor closed the door.

"Not bad," Martha commented quietly. "What did you tell them?"

"That I work for Director Yuli Pyver of MicaRepublic."

"What's that?" Martha asked.

"It's a global technology corporation," the Doctor answered.

"They are allegedly behind the teleportation experiments," Rown added. "Why is Zoby working for him?"

"I'm not sure. He said he forgave Ward, but something else is going on," the Doctor replied. "Ward's here," he added after a beat.

Soon, the Doctor emerged and asked guards to bind Martha's and Rown's hands. "Not what you feared, but I have to take them to Director Pyver. Also, Director Pyver requested a live update on your progress. Do you mind if I take Ward Mazarin?"

"No, not at all," Zoby hesitantly replied.

* * *

><p><em>-FLASHBACK-<em>

The Doctor entered the laboratory. Emergency medical personnel followed and tended to the many people who lied injured. He noticed that because there weren't enough personnel, two unconscious people who were laying side by side on their backs were not being treated. The Doctor approached them, a man and a woman, and put a hand on the woman's head.

The woman gasped awake.

"What's your name?" the Doctor asked.

"I'm Ramar Cassabi," she replied, shakily.

The Doctor scanned Ramar with his sonic screwdriver, and then scanned the man. He let out a deep breath.

"Zoby?"

"He'll be fine, I promise. His injuries are superficial."

"The blood . . ."

"I'm afraid that's all yours."

"You . . . you'll take care of him?"

"I'll take care of him. I promise. He'll be fine."

"Okay."

"You can rest now, Ramar. You can let go."

Ramar turned to Zoby and put a hand on Zoby's head. She stroked his cheeks.

"I love you so much," Ramar uttered while crying. "I love you. I love you."

The Doctor noticed Ramar's ring and that she had died. He stood up and called for someone to help Zoby.

_-FLASHBACK-_

* * *

><p>"It's bigger on the inside!" Ward exclaimed when he entered the TARDIS.<p>

Martha looked at the Doctor, who didn't respond. He pulled out his sonic screwdriver after setting the controls to take everyone back to Ekinnes.

"How quickly will this take us to Qiron?" Ward asked.

"We're not going to Qiron, we're going to Ekinnes," the Doctor replied while using his screwdriver to undo Martha's and Rown's bindings. He approached Ward with a stern look on his face. Rown stood behind him.

"You've tricked me," Ward realized.

"Four people died last year because of you," the Doctor stated coldly.

"It wasn't me . . ."

"So you keep saying," Rown interjected.

"And it was three," Ward finished.

"What difference does that make?" Rown asked, almost angrily.

"Because you people are working with incorrect facts. If you can't get a simple number of casualties correctly, how can anything else be correct?"

"If it wasn't you, then who was responsible?" the Doctor asked.

"How should I know?"

The TARDIS stopped.

"We've landed," Martha pointed out.

Rown took the ropes that bound him and restrained Ward with them. The Doctor opened the TARDIS doors and Rown left with Ward. The Doctor and Martha followed.

"Thank you, Doctor," Caffi said later.

"It was my pleasure," the Doctor responded.

"While you all were in Ywoklize, did you determine what MicaRepublic was doing there?"

"No. He's being uncooperative?"

"Correct," Caffi replied.

"Perhaps some of Ward's personal effects might give you some clues," the Doctor offered.

"I'm about to go through them now, if you'd like to join me. Rown and Chara are interrogating Ward now."

The Doctor and Martha followed Caffi to a room in which they could see Ward being interrogated. Ward was wearing a white shirt and white pants. All three could hear the interrogation.

"All the belongings are here," Caffi soon said. "There's nothing remarkable, nothing informative."

The Doctor picked up a ring and stared at it.

Martha noticed the Doctor's look. "Doctor, what is it?"

"There's a symbol on this ring. I've seen it before. Director, these effects are all Ward's?"

"Yes."

"Are you positive?"

"Of course. I saw Rown remove that ring himself. What is it?"

"One of the victims, Ramar Cassabi . . ."

"I remember her file," Caffi said. "She was from Qiron, so our records on her are sparse."

"She wore a ring with this symbol."

"What does that mean, Doctor?" Martha asked.

"That's enough!" Rown yelled in the interrogation room, drawing the Doctor's, Martha's, and Caffi's attentions. "Shulon Yaramar, Ennis Kurklen, Ramar Cassabi, and Mary Lund are dead!"

"My wife isn't dead!" Ward countered.

"What?" Caffi asked quietly.

Rown raised an eyebrow.

"She's waiting in Qiron for me to finish this contract."

"What?" the Doctor said.

* * *

><p><em>-FLASHBACK-<em>

Ward let out a noise as a heavy briefcase suddenly appeared right next to him and nearly landed on his right foot.

"Zoby!" Ward cried.

Zoby ran to Ward. "Get out, now!"

"How long is this going to last?" Ward asked.

"I don't know. All of the calculations are wrong now. They missed something. Go!"

Nearby, someone screamed right before disappearing. Zoby and Ward both looked shocked as that person suddenly appeared meters away, with part of an arm embedded in a rail.

"Go!" Zoby yelled.

"Where's Ramar?"

"I'll look for her and get her to safety."

"I can help," Ward said.

"No, this is my mess. This is my responsibility. Please, go."

"You'll find Ramar?"

"Of course I will."

Ward then ran out. As he opened the door, he ran into security guards. A computer then appeared and dropped nearby. The security guards stood agape at what they were witnessing while Ward continued to run and Zoby looked for Ramar.

_-FLASHBACK-_


	2. Cooperation

Chapter 2: Cooperation

The Doctor, Martha, Caffi, and Rown examined Ramar's body from the storage morgue.

"Her ring has the same symbol," Caffi remarked. "You're correct, Doctor."

"We finally have someone to claim her body, and it's Ward Mazarin. Great," Rown said. "Why does Ward think she's alive and waiting for him?"

Caffi sighed. "Rown, when Ward told you that . . . we've both been doing this long enough to know those emotions are real. We need to show him her body and find out what's happening."

With the exception of Rown, everyone exited the room just before Chara brought Ward in.

Ward broke down as soon as he saw Ramar's body. Nearby, the Doctor, Martha, and Caffi could hear Rown try to explain that Ramar had been dead for a long time.

After an hour, Ward sat in an interrogation room again and the Doctor appeared.

"Hello, I'm the Doctor."

Ward nodded in acknowledgment.

"There are problems with your memory."

Ward nodded again.

"Director Raig gave me permission to do something. I could enter your mind, if you let me. I can try to find out what happened."

"Sure," Ward replied.

The Doctor put his hands on Ward's temples and closed his eyes. In Ward's mind, he kept on seeing Zoby's face. The Doctor then broke contact and looked where he knew Caffi was standing with Rown and Chara. "We need to talk to Zoby Leard."

"What did you see?" Caffi asked as she entered the room

"He's been hypnotized into forgetting certain details."

"What? How?" Ward asked.

"I'm not sure, but Zoby's involved."

Caffi looked at Ward. "We'll need your help."

Later, Ward turned on his communicator and Zoby soon appeared.

"Ward!" Zoby exclaimed. "Thank Infinity, we didn't know what happened to you!"

"Zoby, what happened to Ramar?" Ward asked.

"Stop digressing!" Rown whispered in warning nearby.

Caffi put her hand up to stop Rown.

"How do you mean?" Zoby asked. "She's waiting for you in Qiron."

Ward frowned. "We need to talk to each other, away from quarry."

"Of course."

"We need to talk in private. I need you to meet me where we used to store the cranes. Alone."

"I can do that. How long?"

Ward looked at Caffi and the Doctor.

"Twenty minutes," the Doctor whispered.

"Twenty minutes," Ward repeated to Zoby.

"Okay."

Later, the Doctor, Martha, Caffi, Rown, and four junior security officers landed near the quarry in the TARDIS and stepped out. They were at the edge of a heavy forest.

"This is where we agreed to meet," Ward indicated.

"Well, where is he?" Rown asked impatiently.

"He might just be running a little late. Please, be patient."

"If you communicated a code to lure us into a trap," Rown began.

"I am looking for answers as much as you are," Ward snapped back.

"Ward?" Zoby asked from a distance.

"Yeah, it's me," Ward replied.

Zoby appeared. "I recognize the three from before. What's going on?"

"They're just here to protect us after what happened last time."

Shots suddenly rang out and three of the junior security officers laid dead.

"No! Stop shooting!" Zoby cried. He charged towards Ward. He tried to cover Ward and pull him away, but Rown pushed both to the side behind cover, joined by the Doctor.

"I told you to come alone!" Ward said.

"I could tell something was going on during our conversation. I wasn't sure what was happening," Zoby replied. He looked at Rown. "You're making things worse. They will keep on shooting until it looks like you're giving up and we are going back."

"I don't care," Rown replied. "Doctor, we need to get back to your TARDIS now."

"We need to get to Martha and Caffi first," the Doctor said.

"Caffi will do the same. She'll take care of Martha and Aron and head back to the TARDIS, too."

The Doctor, Rown, Zoby, and Ward tried to weave around the area, but once they laid eyes on the TARDIS, they saw that it was surrounded.

"We go deep into the forest to hide, then," Rown said. "We'll come back later."

Martha, Caffi, and Aron did the same after coming across the TARDIS.

"We are still being chased," Caffi noted. "The only thing we can do now is hide. We'll find a better opportunity to return later."

"There should be stations for communication nearby, if I recall the maps correctly," Aron stated.

"We'll head that way for now, then," Caffi said.

Caffi led Martha and Aron into the forest.

"What about the others?" Martha asked.

"Rown might be hot-headed, but he knows how to survive and lead. They'll be fine," Caffi answered.

The Doctor, Rown, Zoby, and Ward found refuge by a tiny cave.

"We're safe for now," Rown said. He pulled out his communicator, but couldn't operate it.

"It's standard protocol to block communication outside the immediate construction area under certain circumstances," Zoby said.

"Then how do we get messages to others?" Rown asked. "I need to reach Caffi and we need to call in more support. You have all met the standards now to be qualified as a militia."

"We keep on going," Ward said. "There are habitats a few kilometers away."

"Why are you helping them? Look, they won't stop searching for us." Zoby asked.

"I saw Ramar's body."

Zoby couldn't hide his surprise.

"What have you done to me?"

"Later," Rown interjected.

"No, we do this now," Ward replied. "And stop talking to me like a criminal." Ward looked at Zoby. "What did you do?"

Zoby didn't respond.

"You hypnotized him, made him believe that Ramar was still alive," the Doctor said.

"What else could I do?" Zoby finally replied. "They were going to arrest you for everything. All I could do was fix that and make you feel better."

"How were you going to fix the charges?" the Doctor asked.

"The head of MicaRepublic was going to convince the Qiron magistrate to give Ward refugee status and block extradition. Ward would have had the chance to live a normal life again. We just needed to do this project for MicaRepublic."

"Ward isn't supposed to need protection, is he?" the Doctor asked. "I thought you and Ramar were victims, but you were the one running the experiment."

"Yes," Zoby answered.

"Did you know this? Was that part of your memory changed?" Rown asked Ward. "Or did you allow yourself to become a fugitive? When we interrogated you, you refused to blame Zoby."

"It's what I do for friendship," Ward simply replied. Ward looked at Zoby. "What were you going to do when all this was over? What about my memories of Ramar?"

"I was going to restore them once Pyver came through for us. Then you'd only have Ramar to grieve."

Ward sighed, but otherwise did not react.

"We should continue on. Ward, lead the way," Rown said. "Zoby, stay in front of me."

The four continued walking. When there was a notable gap between Ward and Zoby, the Doctor joined the latter by his side. "Does he know about you and Ramar?" the Doctor asked quietly.

"Yes."

"What are you building for MicaRepublic?"

"We're trying to build a vessel with no detectable radiance, mass, or weight."

"That's impossible," Rown claimed.

"We've recruited very smart people for this project," Zoby countered.

"And even if you succeed, what's the benefit of this type of vessel?" Rown asked.

"The chief scientist at MicaRepublic thinks that a vessel meeting certain properties could travel outside the time-space continuum."

"You want to travel into the Void?" the Doctor asked, slightly alarmed.

"The what?" Zoby asked.

"It exists? That's what it's called?"

"Yes, it exists and that's probably the least threatening name given to it. You can't do that!" the Doctor said.

"After the disaster you created with the teleportation experiments, you want to take this risk?" Rown argued.

"I'll take whatever risk I need to get Pyver to help us."

"You've already opened a hole," the Doctor realized. "Director Raig said there was an energy discharge and movement of mass. That's not a teleportation component I saw, that's what you used to rip a hole in the universe!"

"It was just a colony of small mammals we sent through."

"Well, you can stop it now. Ekinnean security isn't after Ward anymore," the Doctor said.

"And if you are willing to do so much for Ward, incarceration shouldn't be a big deal. Not after what you did," Rown added.

Zoby didn't reply; he continued walking.

Ward also continued walking, not wanting to acknowledge that he had heard everything.

In another part of the forest, Caffi, Martha, and Aron walked towards the end of the forest and came upon an outpost.

Caffi and Aron drew their guns.

"Are you experienced with guns?" Caffi asked Martha quietly, holding a second gun.

"No, I'm not good with guns."

"You can take this to defend yourself, or you can forgo a gun and hope that anyone we meet won't see you as a threat."

Martha took the gun hesitantly. "They killed Ash. I'd rather not take a chance."

Caffi handed the second gun to Martha. "We'll circle around it and look. You can stay hidden."

Caffi and Aron looked around carefully.

"It's empty," Aron said in a normal volume. He broke down the door.

Caffi and Aron examined the contents in the outpost.

"Teleportation equipment," Caffi concluded. "We didn't collect it all."

"Can you communicate with this thing?" Martha asked, looking at a machine on a wall.

"Yes," Caffi answered. "We can get in touch with my department in Ekinnes."

"It probably won't be blocked," Aron said.

"Will the people at the quarry know if we use it?" Martha asked.

Aron and Caffi looked at each other.

Caffi cursed under her breath. "We'll have to be very fast and then run."

"They shouldn't be able to listen in," Aron offered.

Caffi quickly made a call to her department.

"Director Raig," someone answered.

"Track this call immediately. There is a quarry nearby. I need a full force to immobilize to it. A militia is there and has killed four of our colleagues. You should have no problems clearing diplomatic channels for this operation. Also send a vessel north of here. We'll be heading that way."

"Yes, Director Raig. Rown Tu called in and we have a vessel picking him up. He said that MicaRepublic is planning something far worse than more teleportation experiments."

"Then act more quickly," Caffi Raig.

"Yes, ma'am."

Caffi ended the call. "Now, we run."

Back at the quarry, a leading scientist talked with Yuli Pyver.

"You're going to have forces descending upon you, soon," Pyver indicated. "It's time for another experiment, an offensive one."

Outside the forest, the Doctor, Rown, Ward, and Zoby heard a loud rumble. They looked towards the quarry and saw a display of white and copper reverberating lights.

"Oh, this isn't good," the Doctor commented.

* * *

><p>The Doctor reunited with Martha and Caffi aboard a bus-sized ship.<p>

"Rown, how much longer until they arrive?" Caffi asked.

"They're breaking in now, ma'am," Rown replied.

"Pull up the visual," Caffi ordered the pilot.

On the screen, everyone saw a group of small ships forming a circle around the quarry. A bubble of energy had gathered above. An announcement was made from one of the ships, but no one could make out what was being said. Suddenly, a beam shot out and hit a ship, which disappeared.

"They've honed it into a weapon!" Caffi remarked.

"What's going to happen to the people in the ship?" Martha asked.

"They're as good as dead," the Doctor answered.

"This is Director Raig," Caffi announced into a communicator. "Open fire on the machines."

As a beam hit another ship, all the others opened fire on the two large machines, resulting in explosions that engulfed much of the area.

Everyone then noticed Ekinnean and Ywoklizean security forces on the ground apprehending people trying to run away.

"The energy field is still there," Caffi noticed. "Why isn't it gone?"

"It's able to sustain itself for a short amount of time," the Doctor said.

"How long?" Martha asked.

The Doctor and Caffi looked at Zoby and Ward.

"Too long," Zoby said reluctantly. "Based on what we've seen, the settings that the engineers used probably released energy that could go on for hours."

"What aren't you telling us?" Caffi asked.

Ward replied when he saw that Zoby wouldn't. "Many of the algorithms we used for this were replicated from the teleportation experiments. Soon, we're going to see the same things happen from before, but instead of objects moving around the area, they're going to move out of the space-time continuum."

"Just when you think you couldn't do worse than before . . ." the Doctor commented.

"How do we stop it?" Martha asked.

"We'd need a similar machine that can disperse enough magnetic charge to counter what's out there."

"Where would we get that?" Martha asked.

"We don't," Rown answered.

"No, there's that thing we saw in the outpost," Caffi said. "It was teleportation technology. Could we use that? Zoby said the algorithms are similar."

"Which outpost?" Zoby asked.

"It said XA33 on a door," Martha answered.

"That was a prototype, a basic one. It's not sophisticated enough," Zoby said.

"How much is not enough?" the Doctor asked.

"Do you think you can upgrade it?" Caffi asked.

"One way to find out."

The group landed next to the outpost and the Doctor examined the device there.

A rumble interrupted everything. Everyone looked around and saw three of the tallest trees disappear.

Caffi cursed under her breath and the Doctor quickly went back to work.

"I just need to manipulate the hadron-crystal settings and recalibrate the composite SDX stream."

As the others stood around anxiously, the Doctor used his sonic screwdriver to alter the machine. He then grabbed a cable nearby.

"Borus, connect this to your ship. I need power."

The ground started to shake.

Borus complied and the Doctor aimed the machine in the general vicinity of the quarry and pressed a button. A white beam shot out.

Soon, the shaking and rumbling stopped.

"You did it?" Martha asked, hopefully.

"You did it," Zoby confirmed.

...

"Thank you, Doctor," Caffi later said when everyone was back in Ekinnes.

The Doctor simply nodded. He turned his attention to his side and saw Zoby being taken away.

"What will happen to him?"

"He's still responsible for people dying and the destruction of an incredible amount of property," Caffi said. "He also contributed to what happened today."

"And Ward?" the Doctor asked.

"I've been authorized to release him and clear his records. Although he also contributed to today's events, he was instrumental in preventing something far worse, I imagine. Plus, there is the burden of false accusation to consider and his recent state of mind."

"And what about everyone back at the quarry?" Martha asked.

"Arrested, along with many at MicaRepublic. The government of Qiron won't protect them, not after everything that happened. Rown told me that he can identify the man who killed Ash Renner. We won't need you to stay, Martha."

"Then, I think it's time to go," the Doctor said.

"You're welcome back here any time you wish, Doctor. The circumstances would be better, I gather."

The Doctor half-nodded and walked back to the TARDIS with Martha.

"Doctor!" Ward cried as he ran up to the pair.

"Ward."

"If I might trouble you, Rown said that you can travel to any place you want with your ship."

"That's right."

"Any likelihood of you taking me to Earth?"

The Doctor looked questionably at Ward.

"It's time for me to start a new life, Doctor. I haven't spoken to them in a while, but I do have friends on Earth. I think they can help me."

"Of course. I'm sure Martha would be curious about what it looks like now."

Martha smiled and nodded.

"Do you need to collect anything from home? Tell Zoby where you're headed?" the Doctor asked.

"No," Ward replied quietly. "I think a new life should mean a new everything, except my friends on Earth."

"What about your wife?" Martha asked.

"With my spousal consent, Director Raig has promised me that she will get the funeral she deserves." Ward sighed. "I can't be here for that. I'm not ready for that yet."

"You're running away?"

"Yes, for now. I'll come back when I'm ready. I can assure you of that."

The Doctor nodded and opened the TARDIS doors and ushered Martha and Ward in. Soon, they were gone.

* * *

><p>Thanks a lot for reading. Please feel free to write a review with positive or negative criticism. It would be nice to know where I can improve. Sometimes I can look more critically at my own work after a while (I recently noticed how exposition-heavy the first chapter of Fear Before Courage was and how simply terrible the second chapter of Muthlara was), but sometimes I can't, so feedback would be helpful. Thank you again.<p> 


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